7:15 PM Thursday Storm Update - January 5, 2022

The most up-to-date County emergency resources can always be found at SocoEmergency.org

Good evening folks!  [General Situational Info at top; Weather Report at bottom]

The winds have died down tonight and the River isn’t flooding. It’s looking like we have a couple of days to breathe, take stock, and prepare before the River starts to rise again. I want to take the break in the storm as an opportunity to share a little of the behind-the-scenes work that goes on during a disaster. In my six years on this job, I don’t think I’ve ever witnessed the level of collaboration I’m seeing come together in this storm event.

 Have you ever played pick-up sticks? That’s the game the wind was playing on our road system last night. Redwood, fir, oak and pine were tossed all over the place — with some power poles thrown in for good measure. The North Coast was a particular nightmare: full of drought-stressed forest, the coast also received the greatest impact from rain (~1 foot in some locations) as well as wind (80mph gusts). Trees came down EVERYWHERE: pick-up sticks.

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